“I Lost Me Visits”

Abstract

Utilizing Bacchi's poststructuralist approach, "What's the problem represented to be?," we critically examine how the "problem" of drug use in prison is represented within a key initiative-the Identified Drug User program (IDUP)-of prison drug policy in one Australian jurisdiction. We use two data sources for our analysis: interview transcripts of recently incarcerated young men (aged 19-24) with histories of injecting drug use and selected prison drug policy and program documents. We examine how the "problem" of drug use in prison is problematized within the IDUP and question commonly accepted ways of thinking that underpin the program. We explore the discursive and subjectification effects of problem representations which produce young men as "rational" and "choosing" and, at the same time, as "untrustworthy" and "deserving of punishment." We highlight how these effects have consequences for young men's connections to family while incarcerated which can work against the very issues the IDUP is trying to address. We make two claims in particular: that the IDUP produces harmful effects for young men and their families and that the harmful effects produced are, paradoxically, those the IDUP aims to avoid. Our analysis offers insights into how drug use in prison could be thought about differently, including suggestions that might reduce at least some of its adverse effects.

Locked Up and Locked Out: Client Perspectives on Personal Relationships While in Compulsory Drug Treatment

“…Taken together, our findings suggest that there are few opportunities to receive backup and input from family and friends that support the goals of the treatment (motivation to seek change and enter voluntary treatment), given the current situation at the studied institutions. Prior research has shown that efforts to maintain relationships with family, primarily through visits during incarceration, are associated with better post-release outcomes (Berg & Huebner, 2011;Eades, 2009;Taylor, 2016;Walker et al, 2018). We argue that opportunities for improvement may lie in a higher degree of permeability within compulsory treatment settings.…”

“…Thus, when it comes to detainment of people in a Swedish compulsory treatment setting, the prison functions as a point of reference. A large body of prison research has shown the importance of maintaining family bonds while incarcerated, for a more positive post-release outcome (e.g., Berg & Huebner, 2011;Walker et al, 2018). While few studies focus on relationships outside of the family, they point out the importance of inmates keeping contact with the outside world while detained, for a more successful reentry into society (Eades, 2009).…”

“…(Woman,40 years) Consistent with previous research (Harman et al, 2007), the transition from "we" to "I" (i.e., from being a couple to separate individuals) was described as a difficult process by our interviewees. However, restricting physical contact between inmates and visitors to prevent trafficking of drugs in coercive settings (such as prisons and compulsory treatment institutions) is a usual intervention in Sweden as well as internationally (Walker et al, 2018). As illustrated by the case described above, removal of visitation rights on the basis of the visitor's presumed drug use was common practice at the studied institutions.…”

“That’s the Lowest Place on Earth!” Experiences of the Carceral Spaces of Australian Police Custody for Marginalized Young Men

“…Of particular interest is how governing takes place, how governmental practices contribute to the production of subjects, and how these have implications on people's lived experience (Bacchi, 2009(Bacchi, , 2017Bacchi & Goodwin, 2016). Although predominantly used as a tool for interrogating text in the form of policy and legal documents (see Bacchi, 2009Bacchi, , 2015Bacchi, , 2017Lancaster et al, 2015;Moore & Fraser, 2013;Seear & Fraser, 2014;Walker, Lancaster, et al, 2018), WPR has increasingly been used to reflect critically on problematizations that are not strictly textual, such as buildings, artifacts, and other phenomena (see Arousell et al, 2017;Bacchi & Goodwin, 2016;Bonham & Bacchi, 2017;Bottrell & Goodwin, 2011). Our analysis builds on these studies, using the carceral space of police custody as the site of problematization.…”

“…Interview data are drawn from a doctoral dissertation study about the experiences of drug use, incarceration, and release from adult prison for 28 young men with histories of injecting drug use Walker, Lancaster, et al, 2018;Walker, Seear, et al, 2019). Young men were recruited via the Prison and Transition Health (PATH) longitudinal cohort study, involving 400 male prisoners who reported injecting drugs at least monthly for the 6 months prior to their most recent incarceration.…”